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Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
Read more…

Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

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Consumers feel protective of independent shops and want to support them for their ‘social good’

Posted on in Business News

New research has found that consumers feel protective of independent shops and want to support them for their ‘social good’.

pictureque high street

The research, by Faire, the online wholesale marketplace, is based on a survey of 2,000 consumers and 100 independent UK retail leaders conducted by Opinium.

It found that:

  • 30% of British consumers say they feel responsible for supporting independent retailers.
  • 32% of those surveyed said shopping at independents allows them to reduce their carbon footprint and 20% said they think indies provide more sustainable products.
  • Despite this, 48% of British consumers still think independent shops are too expensive when compared to larger chains and online marketplaces.

Despite wanting to support the sector, 20% of British consumers have cut back on shopping at independent retailers because of the cost-of-living crisis – but that there are significant opportunities if independent retailers adopt digital innovation.

Other key take-aways include:

  • independent retail is under pressure in adverse economic conditions…

    • 20% of British consumers are cutting back on shopping with independent retailers because of the cost-of-living crisis.
    • 48% of British consumers think independent shops are too expensive when compared to larger chains and online marketplaces.
  • The independent businesses thriving at the moment are the ones innovating with digital technologies:

    • Among independent retailers, 66% felt their businesses were thriving thanks to digital transformation and 48% said that embracing technology has increased revenues.
    • 61% of the small-to-medium-sized independent retailers surveyed who operate both in-store and digitally report that their business is thriving.
    • The number of independent retailers using Faire in the UK has now hit 45,000: four times the number of stores than the four largest supermarket chains combined.
  • In fact, digital innovation represents a major opportunity for independent retailers to thrive.

    • 92% of the retail leaders agreed offering consumers the ability to browse goods online would enhance the shopping experience.
    • 73% of consumers said that integrating some form of digital retail service would encourage them to shop at their local retailers more

Commenting on the report, Olivier Buffon, Head of International at Faire, said: “Small and independent businesses are the backbone of our economy and our local communities. What this report shows is that consumers turn to them to provide products that are quality, which reflect their values, and which are thoughtfully curated.
“Combine this with the promise of digital innovation, both in how retailers source goods but also in offering digital ecommerce options to consumers, and it’s clear that despite some challenges, independent retail has a bright future.”

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